We asked Rattler Rope athlete, Billie Jack Saebens, what advice he could offer to a high school version of himself. This is what he had to say:

Horsepower

If I could give advice to a high school version of myself, I would say respect your horse. If you have a great one, treat him like it, and come to realize they won’t be around forever. It’s easy to take a good horse for granted and run too many on them, or not to take all the steps to care for them at the level they need to be cared for. Don’t wait until you’re without that great horse to come to these realizations.

If you don’t have a good horse, do everything in your power to get one. Horses are everything especially nowadays when everyone ropes so good, the great horses easily separate themselves from the good horses. Take the time to learn how to keep them healthy, sound, and working. It will pay off greatly in the long run if you’re going into the rodeo business. There are guys that rope good around every corner, but there aren’t as many people making good horses. They are fewer and farther between than ever, so take the time to learn the horsemanship to make one or keep the one you have working.

The guys that have long successful careers are the ones that can keep the good horses.

-Billie Jack Saebens